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A Mystery with Recipes #15
A Catered New Year's Eve
Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are reunited with a distant relative who wants them to cater a New Year’s Eve event—and help find a guilty party . . .
It’s been years since Bernie and Libby’s parents became estranged from Ada Sinclair’s side of the family—though the reasons for the rift are lost to history. The sisters, however, are intrigued when Ada makes contact. She tells them about the long-ago deaths of her father and his business partner, which happened within hours of each other—and were both ruled accidental.
Ada thinks otherwise—and has a plan. On New Year’s Eve, she’ll gather a group of guests and read from a diary she’s found in her mother’s attic that she thinks will expose the culprit. The Simmons sisters agree to provide refreshments for the bash, and when the night arrives, Ada’s ready to count down to a confession. But as midnight approaches, a guest drops dead. It looks like the menu tonight includes champagne and cyanide . . .
In the tumult, the diary disappears. When Ada is arrested for murder, she’ll have to hope that Bernie and Libby can provide a resolution before the clock runs out.
Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!
It’s been years since Bernie and Libby’s parents became estranged from Ada Sinclair’s side of the family—though the reasons for the rift are lost to history. The sisters, however, are intrigued when Ada makes contact. She tells them about the long-ago deaths of her father and his business partner, which happened within hours of each other—and were both ruled accidental.
Ada thinks otherwise—and has a plan. On New Year’s Eve, she’ll gather a group of guests and read from a diary she’s found in her mother’s attic that she thinks will expose the culprit. The Simmons sisters agree to provide refreshments for the bash, and when the night arrives, Ada’s ready to count down to a confession. But as midnight approaches, a guest drops dead. It looks like the menu tonight includes champagne and cyanide . . .
In the tumult, the diary disappears. When Ada is arrested for murder, she’ll have to hope that Bernie and Libby can provide a resolution before the clock runs out.
Includes Original Recipes for You to Try!
320 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 2019
86 people are currently reading
406 people want to read
About the author
Isis Crawford
28 books265 followersIsis Crawford was born in Egypt to parents who were in the diplomatic corps. When she was five, her family returned to the States, where her mother opened a restaurant in Upper Westchester County and her father became a university professor. Since then Isis has combined her parents’ love of food and travel by running a catering service as well as penning numerous travel-related articles about places ranging from Omsk to Paraguay. Married, with twin boys, she presently resides in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, where she is working on the next Bernie and Libby culinary mystery.
A pseudonym used by Barbara Block
A pseudonym used by Barbara Block
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
October 18, 2019
Sisters Libby and Bernie are contacted by their cousin Ada Sinclair, who wants their help to investigate the suspicious deaths of her father and his business partner which occurred ten years ago. She invites the sisters into her home to cater a New Year 's Eve party in the hopes that they will uncover the truth. At first, the sisters don't take her too seriously, but when two people are found dead in suspicious circumstances, the sisters realize that maybe Ada isn't paranoid after all. Maybe there really is something sinister going on in the Sinclair family. A Catered New Year's Eve is the 15th book in the series and can be read as a stand-alone. The plot was intriguing, with an entire family of suspects to keep readers in suspense. However, the characters lacked depth and I struggled to connect with them. The mystery did manage to keep me interested and I really liked the way everything was wrapped up. Overall, this is a fun, easy to read cozy and I enjoyed my time with it. But I really don't see myself picking up any more books in this series. I just didn't care for any of the main characters and the writing style was not my cup of tea. Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 20, 2022
Full of filler
Just so many things in this book that didn't need to be there. Including two chapters with the sisters speaking to a journalist. All she did was write about the murder years ago.She was in no way related to the family and would have no info on the murder, yet they talked with her for two chapters..... Speaking of the sisters,Libby and Bernie, all they did was bicker. Constantly. Sometimes for pages at a time. Unnecessary. All this extra stuff made the book drag. I found myself thinking, "is it over yet" numerous times throughout. It felt way too long because it was filled with filler. Just a bunch of stuff to make the book longer. I'm done with the Catered Isis Crawford series.I won't be picking up another one for quite a while.
Just so many things in this book that didn't need to be there. Including two chapters with the sisters speaking to a journalist. All she did was write about the murder years ago.She was in no way related to the family and would have no info on the murder, yet they talked with her for two chapters..... Speaking of the sisters,Libby and Bernie, all they did was bicker. Constantly. Sometimes for pages at a time. Unnecessary. All this extra stuff made the book drag. I found myself thinking, "is it over yet" numerous times throughout. It felt way too long because it was filled with filler. Just a bunch of stuff to make the book longer. I'm done with the Catered Isis Crawford series.I won't be picking up another one for quite a while.
December 5, 2019
This book was hard to get into. the two sisters are asked to cater a New year’s party for some long estranged cousins. Their dad doesn’t want them to do it and makes a bet that it would be a disaster.Ada insists that the death of her father and his business partner hours apart was murder and she has something to prove it. When a guest at the party drops dead and Ada runs away the sisters are determined to find out what is going on.
October 15, 2019
Sisters Libby and Bernie take a New Year's Eve catering job from a side of their family that their parents had cut ties with years earlier. They try to approach it with an open mind but things quickly go south when their one cousin is convinced her father didn't die ten years ago on New Year's Eve of a drug overdose. Bad to worse when someone is actually poisoned that night during the celebration after their catering job was completed.
This series has been on my "to be read" list for a long time. But this was just not the book for me. I couldn't count the number of times they took their work van "Mathilda" on dangerous winter roads; it just made no sense to me. The Sinclair sisters and their children became all intertwined that I was too confused. I also had trouble following the plot and forced myself to finish the book. I will take time next year and start with the beginning of the series and see how I like it from the beginning.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of the book. My review is voluntary.
This series has been on my "to be read" list for a long time. But this was just not the book for me. I couldn't count the number of times they took their work van "Mathilda" on dangerous winter roads; it just made no sense to me. The Sinclair sisters and their children became all intertwined that I was too confused. I also had trouble following the plot and forced myself to finish the book. I will take time next year and start with the beginning of the series and see how I like it from the beginning.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of the book. My review is voluntary.
December 17, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.
Overall this was disappointing. It has many elements of a traditional cozy, but lacks a real thread to tie everything together. The theme of food/catering could be good, and I did enjoy when the sisters talked of food and their mother. However, any other dialogue was stilted and forced, and it made it extremely hard to read. It was almost like watching two robots converse; the language is english and entirely correct, but something is just...off.
In the end the mystery isn't even solved by the sleuths anyway, at least not properly. Then I finished the book, went to sleep and woke up without being able to remember WHO killed who and what exactly happened, so I had to read it again. And again. I was still confused as to how any of it went down that I gave up and chalked it up to never being sure. A mystery should be clear by the end, and this one was just long winded and entirely too confusing.
Not my favorite book of the year, and I honestly don't think reading more in the series will help. Two stars.
Overall this was disappointing. It has many elements of a traditional cozy, but lacks a real thread to tie everything together. The theme of food/catering could be good, and I did enjoy when the sisters talked of food and their mother. However, any other dialogue was stilted and forced, and it made it extremely hard to read. It was almost like watching two robots converse; the language is english and entirely correct, but something is just...off.
In the end the mystery isn't even solved by the sleuths anyway, at least not properly. Then I finished the book, went to sleep and woke up without being able to remember WHO killed who and what exactly happened, so I had to read it again. And again. I was still confused as to how any of it went down that I gave up and chalked it up to never being sure. A mystery should be clear by the end, and this one was just long winded and entirely too confusing.
Not my favorite book of the year, and I honestly don't think reading more in the series will help. Two stars.
January 9, 2021
I loved the conversations in this book. Very entertaining. A good mystery too.
October 22, 2019
Series: A Mystery with Recipes – Book 15
Author: Isis Crawford
Genre: Cozy Mystery/ Culinary/Holiday
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 320
From Isis Crawford comes the 15th book in the “A Mystery with Recipes,” a holiday-themed cozy, A Catered New Year’s Eve published by Kensington Books.
Bernie and Libby are up to their usual antics once again. Even after being warned by their father, they decide to ignore his advice and get themselves involved with a side of their family that their mother banned from her life. And of course, it backfires on them in a big way. Namely, they end up investigating a murder when they should be working on their business and staying off the icy roads and putting themselves in dangerous situations. Between the bad weather, a family that appears to have nothing better to do than argue, and a few too many suspects, the girls have a difficult and dangerous time getting to the heart of the murder and their crazy relatives. They do find the killer but almost get themselves killed in the process.
I have read several books in this series; this is the first holiday-themed one. I want to say that the series has improved. But the truth is, it hasn’t. The main characters of Bernie and Libby are not likable; they are immature, and spend most of their time bickering and ignoring facts. The investigation they conduct is laughable. There is little to no evidence trail to follow. The only character that is remotely interesting is their father, and the only one with real investigative know how to boot. The fact that these two women are out in the middle of snowstorms racing around in a van that barely runs, and driving on slick roads chasing phantom SUV’s, and that they do not seem to have any self-preservation is entirely unbelievable. The emphasize in the plot is not the murder, motive, or suspects but appears to be one-upping each other, rebelling against common sense, and a fear of black ice.
The holiday theme is more-or-less non-existent. The few twists and turns never go anywhere, and most of the suggested clues are never fully explained. Unfortunately, I could not enjoy A Catered New Year’s Eve.
Author: Isis Crawford
Genre: Cozy Mystery/ Culinary/Holiday
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 320
From Isis Crawford comes the 15th book in the “A Mystery with Recipes,” a holiday-themed cozy, A Catered New Year’s Eve published by Kensington Books.
Bernie and Libby are up to their usual antics once again. Even after being warned by their father, they decide to ignore his advice and get themselves involved with a side of their family that their mother banned from her life. And of course, it backfires on them in a big way. Namely, they end up investigating a murder when they should be working on their business and staying off the icy roads and putting themselves in dangerous situations. Between the bad weather, a family that appears to have nothing better to do than argue, and a few too many suspects, the girls have a difficult and dangerous time getting to the heart of the murder and their crazy relatives. They do find the killer but almost get themselves killed in the process.
I have read several books in this series; this is the first holiday-themed one. I want to say that the series has improved. But the truth is, it hasn’t. The main characters of Bernie and Libby are not likable; they are immature, and spend most of their time bickering and ignoring facts. The investigation they conduct is laughable. There is little to no evidence trail to follow. The only character that is remotely interesting is their father, and the only one with real investigative know how to boot. The fact that these two women are out in the middle of snowstorms racing around in a van that barely runs, and driving on slick roads chasing phantom SUV’s, and that they do not seem to have any self-preservation is entirely unbelievable. The emphasize in the plot is not the murder, motive, or suspects but appears to be one-upping each other, rebelling against common sense, and a fear of black ice.
The holiday theme is more-or-less non-existent. The few twists and turns never go anywhere, and most of the suggested clues are never fully explained. Unfortunately, I could not enjoy A Catered New Year’s Eve.
April 10, 2023
Sisters Bernie and Libby accept a catering gig from a member of the branch of the family with whom their now-deceased mother severed relationships a long time ago. They ignore their retired policeman father's warning that the family is bad news. Ada is convinced that her father was killed ten years before, but the family has heard this tale before and ignores her, until one of the party guests is murdered. Ada runs away, communicating with the sisters sporadically. But Bernie especially feels she has to help, especially after Ada's uncle dies in a hit-and-run accident. Fans of the series will regret the almost-complete absence of the boyfriends of the two women.
August 7, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Kindle Book 📕
September 28, 2020
This is the 15th book in the Mystery With Recipes series, but only the second one I have read. It did take a bit of time to get into this story due to that fact, but once I got into it, it was fine. Bernie and Libby run a catering business, but sleuth on the side. Their family is estranged from Ada Sinclair's side of the family, but when she comes to them for help, they agree to help her out. She believes that someone killed her father years earlier, even though it was ruled an accidental overdose. They agree to cater a family dinner on New Year's Eve and see what they can find out. Well, what happens is another death, a poisoning. When Ada is arrested, the sisters set out to prove she is innocent.
The plot is intriguing, with an entire family of suspects to keep readers in suspense. There are some red herrings along the way that had me guessing as to the culprit. Perhaps it is because I have not read other books in this series, but I did not connect with the sisters and their father actually annoyed me somewhat. The mystery is interesting and I really liked the way everything was tied together at the end. Overall, this is a fun, easy to read cozy that was enjoyable. I did like the recipes at the back, and will be trying the lentil soup recipe that is from Bruce Coville. If you enjoy culinary cozies, pick this one up, but I might recommend you start this series at the beginning if you have the time and access to the earlier books. I was gifted a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.
The plot is intriguing, with an entire family of suspects to keep readers in suspense. There are some red herrings along the way that had me guessing as to the culprit. Perhaps it is because I have not read other books in this series, but I did not connect with the sisters and their father actually annoyed me somewhat. The mystery is interesting and I really liked the way everything was tied together at the end. Overall, this is a fun, easy to read cozy that was enjoyable. I did like the recipes at the back, and will be trying the lentil soup recipe that is from Bruce Coville. If you enjoy culinary cozies, pick this one up, but I might recommend you start this series at the beginning if you have the time and access to the earlier books. I was gifted a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.
January 14, 2025
A Catered New Year's Eve by Isis Crawford is book 15 in the A Mystery with Recipes series. Bernie and Libby Simmons are asked by an estranged relative, Ada Sinclair, to cater a New Year Eves Party in order to look into the deaths of her father and his business associate. Ada believes a diary she had recently found and which she plans to introduce at the party may hold clues to their murders. Unfortunately when one of the guests is murdered at the party, Ada finds herself chief suspect, and the sisters are once again plunged into a murder investigation to help her. An interesting mystery with plenty of suspects. I find Bernie and Libby's style of sleuthing rather offputting though. They seem to be constantly bickering and just stumbling around accusing and questioning their suspects without any reasons, thoughts or authority to do so. I enjoy their relationship with their father and their cooking skills which bring them closer to their memories of their mother. I like that their father has now purchased a vehicle which will make him more independent and less reliant. We don't see much of the boyfriends in this book. Recipes are included, although lentil soup as a New Year's Eve tradition seems a bit strange. An okay book although the two sisters are rather difficult to engage with.
October 7, 2019
In this next book of the series Bernie and Libby learn that they have family from her mother's side that they didn't know about. When there cousin Ada contacts them wanting their help investigating the death of her father and his business part st that happened years ago. She doesn't believe that either death was accidental and wants to prove.it to her family once and for all. She has them come to her mother's home in New Year's Eve to cater their dinner, while there Ada hopes they can find some clues that will help answer the question of what really happened to her father. When the count down ends with the death of a guest and Ada runs away the police are looking at her as being the culprit. Bernie and Libby decide to try and help her by continuing to investigate the older deaths as well as this new one. After another death occurs Ada is looking more and more like the killer in the police's eyes. Bernie doesn't see it and can't leave a family member hanging in the wind even though she seems a bit crazy. Follow along as Bernie and Libby take in all the clues that pop up in their ivestigation, can they help Ada or will she end up in jail for murders she says she didn't commit? This is a fun series, I enjoy the dynamic between the sisters and the relationship they have with their dad.
I received an ARC of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I received an ARC of this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 22, 2019
Bernie and Libby are sleuthing sisters who also run a catering business and (I think) work in a restaurant? I’m not completely sure about the restaurant. After doing a DNA test, they connect with a cousin, Ada, who convinces them to cater a family New Year’s Eve party. Sean, Bernie and Libby’s dad, tries to convince them otherwise, saying that that branch of the family is less than honest—or sane. They go anyway and meet their relatives…who aren’t happy to see them. It’s also the tenth anniversary of Ada’s dad’s death. While the police chalked it up to accidental, Ada has always believed he was murdered and she’s out to prove it. Unfortunately, a family friend in attendance ends up being murdered and Ada is the prime suspect. It’s up to Bernie and Libby to find out who the real killer is.
This was a challenging book for me to read. It’s almost all ping-pong dialogue with very little setting details. Other than it’s freezing, snowing, and they drive around in a less-than-reliable van, there’s not much else in the way of description. We don’t even know exactly where they are (somewhere along the Hudson River) until chapter thirteen. Point of View is all over the place with multiple people so you’re not even sure who the main character is supposed to be. The sisters do nothing but snipe at each other and argue about what to do—mostly with Bernie winning. They remind me of a couple of old biddies who have nothing better to do than argue. Their father, Sean, seems to have a Blofeld complex (James Bond character who always had a cat) in that he’s always petting one. Sean, Bernie, and Libby keep chasing down clues to the murderer, but ex-cop Sean seems to be the one who puts it all together. So I’m not sure who the sleuths are supposed to be. Also, the girls go through the dead woman’s house looking for clues and find one, but wouldn’t the police have already done that? There are just too many things here that don’t make sense to me.
Things I liked: The story has an interesting premise and the ending is satisfying. And the recipes are good!
Things I didn’t like: the ping-pong dialogue with no relief; multiple POVs in the same scene; no descriptions (I don’t even know what the girls look like); the incongruities with police procedures (the police would have gone to the dead woman’s house). Half the time, I couldn’t figure out what anyone was doing—and I read cozy mysteries on a regular basis (at least two a week). So I’m not new to the genre.
Recommendations: I know this is the next book in an on-going series, but honestly, there is nothing here for me to recommend. Maybe I’d like it better if I’d read the earlier ones, but this needed a heavier hand in the editing. If you’re okay with multiple POVs, head-hopping all over the place, ping-pong dialogue, then maybe you’ll like this. As for me, though I hate to say it, it’s a no for me. I am sorry.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a challenging book for me to read. It’s almost all ping-pong dialogue with very little setting details. Other than it’s freezing, snowing, and they drive around in a less-than-reliable van, there’s not much else in the way of description. We don’t even know exactly where they are (somewhere along the Hudson River) until chapter thirteen. Point of View is all over the place with multiple people so you’re not even sure who the main character is supposed to be. The sisters do nothing but snipe at each other and argue about what to do—mostly with Bernie winning. They remind me of a couple of old biddies who have nothing better to do than argue. Their father, Sean, seems to have a Blofeld complex (James Bond character who always had a cat) in that he’s always petting one. Sean, Bernie, and Libby keep chasing down clues to the murderer, but ex-cop Sean seems to be the one who puts it all together. So I’m not sure who the sleuths are supposed to be. Also, the girls go through the dead woman’s house looking for clues and find one, but wouldn’t the police have already done that? There are just too many things here that don’t make sense to me.
Things I liked: The story has an interesting premise and the ending is satisfying. And the recipes are good!
Things I didn’t like: the ping-pong dialogue with no relief; multiple POVs in the same scene; no descriptions (I don’t even know what the girls look like); the incongruities with police procedures (the police would have gone to the dead woman’s house). Half the time, I couldn’t figure out what anyone was doing—and I read cozy mysteries on a regular basis (at least two a week). So I’m not new to the genre.
Recommendations: I know this is the next book in an on-going series, but honestly, there is nothing here for me to recommend. Maybe I’d like it better if I’d read the earlier ones, but this needed a heavier hand in the editing. If you’re okay with multiple POVs, head-hopping all over the place, ping-pong dialogue, then maybe you’ll like this. As for me, though I hate to say it, it’s a no for me. I am sorry.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 18, 2019
I had a hard time engaging with this book. All the scenes driving in the snow and having to be carefully due to black ice kept pulling me out of the mystery. I didn't really enjoy most of the book except the ending where everything came together. #AcateredNewYearsEve #NetGalley
December 5, 2019
Princess Fuzzypants here: I have read books in this series before and enjoyed them. I am not sure why this one was not as much fun. It might have been the constant bickering between the two sisters. They seemed to disagree with each other one practically everything and the sensible one always seems to get caught up in the reckless one’s antics. Most people at that point would simply say you are on your own.
The idea of two daughters of a former police chief who lives with them both trying to solve crimes is an interesting premise. When an oddball member of their extended and estranged family, Ada, approaches them with a rather unusual request, in spite of their father’s advice, get involved with a family that “puts the d in dysfunctional”.
Was the Ada’s father and his business partner murdered ten years ago or were they just too tragic coincidences? Everyone is convinced it was the latter until there are two more murders. Once Ada is arrested, it seems both Libby and Bernie are even more determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.. Can they and their father figure out who is the killer before the killer comes after them? I confess I suspected the villain for the same reason their father did.
It wasn’t a bad book. I still give it three and a half purrs and one paw up.
The idea of two daughters of a former police chief who lives with them both trying to solve crimes is an interesting premise. When an oddball member of their extended and estranged family, Ada, approaches them with a rather unusual request, in spite of their father’s advice, get involved with a family that “puts the d in dysfunctional”.
Was the Ada’s father and his business partner murdered ten years ago or were they just too tragic coincidences? Everyone is convinced it was the latter until there are two more murders. Once Ada is arrested, it seems both Libby and Bernie are even more determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.. Can they and their father figure out who is the killer before the killer comes after them? I confess I suspected the villain for the same reason their father did.
It wasn’t a bad book. I still give it three and a half purrs and one paw up.
October 1, 2019
Bernie and Libby run the family shop they live above. Their skills in the kitchen come from the Mother they loved dearly and are excited to find some relatives of their Mother who they have been asked to cater New Year’s Eve dinner for. But their father warns them that there is a reason their Mother walked away from the family…but surely time has changed things, no?
When a guest at the dinner dies, it turns out to be murder and they do not believe their young cousin is guilty as suspected. Against their father’s advice they agree to help clear the young woman, and eventually even Dad pitches in when it looks like the young woman was framed.
While this is the first book I have read in the series, it is book number 15 for the author. While I get excited about finding new series with a heft set of books that I can binge on, this is sadly not one I will be devouring. I just could not get past the way the two sisters interacted and their banter.
When a guest at the dinner dies, it turns out to be murder and they do not believe their young cousin is guilty as suspected. Against their father’s advice they agree to help clear the young woman, and eventually even Dad pitches in when it looks like the young woman was framed.
While this is the first book I have read in the series, it is book number 15 for the author. While I get excited about finding new series with a heft set of books that I can binge on, this is sadly not one I will be devouring. I just could not get past the way the two sisters interacted and their banter.
January 2, 2020
4 Stars
This is the fifteenth book in the A Mystery with Recipes series by Isis Crawford.
The book starts out with an Agatha Christie-like gathering of all the suspects in a room and a woman named Ada is trying to ferret out a killer of her father and business partner by reading from a diary she found in her mom’s attic. Bernie and Libby get drawn into this mess as Ada’s friends. Then someone from this bizarre meeting dies and Ada is suspect number one. Now Bernie and Libby have to clear her name and save her from the mess she stirred up.
I felt like this was a little convoluted at the beginning and since this was the first book I had read in this series, it’s no wonder. I had a lot of missing backstory that a normal follower would already know. But once I got the main characters clear in my mind, it was much easier to navigate this. I wish there had been more of the “catering aspect” in the book since that seems to be the thrux of the series premise. Other than that, I felt the flow of the mystery was good. And the whole red herring aspect was in full force since every time I thought I knew who the suspect was, they turned up dead or cleared of wrong doing.
The ending provided quite a twist! I really need to dust off my whodunit muscles since authors are really throwing me for a loop with all these least likely suspect people coming out of the woodwork with ulterior motives.
This started out a bit on the wobbly side but that was mostly due to the fact that it was my first time reading this author and this particular series. This turned out to be quite a good jaunt into the cozy mystery genre and I know I will be picking up a book from this author again in the future.
If you love a good cozy mystery check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
This is the fifteenth book in the A Mystery with Recipes series by Isis Crawford.
The book starts out with an Agatha Christie-like gathering of all the suspects in a room and a woman named Ada is trying to ferret out a killer of her father and business partner by reading from a diary she found in her mom’s attic. Bernie and Libby get drawn into this mess as Ada’s friends. Then someone from this bizarre meeting dies and Ada is suspect number one. Now Bernie and Libby have to clear her name and save her from the mess she stirred up.
I felt like this was a little convoluted at the beginning and since this was the first book I had read in this series, it’s no wonder. I had a lot of missing backstory that a normal follower would already know. But once I got the main characters clear in my mind, it was much easier to navigate this. I wish there had been more of the “catering aspect” in the book since that seems to be the thrux of the series premise. Other than that, I felt the flow of the mystery was good. And the whole red herring aspect was in full force since every time I thought I knew who the suspect was, they turned up dead or cleared of wrong doing.
The ending provided quite a twist! I really need to dust off my whodunit muscles since authors are really throwing me for a loop with all these least likely suspect people coming out of the woodwork with ulterior motives.
This started out a bit on the wobbly side but that was mostly due to the fact that it was my first time reading this author and this particular series. This turned out to be quite a good jaunt into the cozy mystery genre and I know I will be picking up a book from this author again in the future.
If you love a good cozy mystery check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.
I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.
July 31, 2020
It's New Years and Bernie and Libby are catering an event for their estranged cousin who has recently reached out to them. She does have another motive for wanting the sisters to cater her event. Years ago her father and his business partner both died within hours of each other in what was ruled natural causes. She doesn't believe that to be the case and wants Bernie and Libby to investigate. They are hesitant until two people show up dead.
This was an ok book. Not the best but not the worst. This is always a series I struggle with as I like certain aspects of this series and am annoyed with others. I like the catering and baking aspect and how it reminds the girls of their mother. Their relationship with the father is also something I love. The sisters themselves, not as much. They are just very plain and I feel they don't have a personality to them that I would like. The mystery was good. I didn't suspect the killer until it was revealed. I might read more in this series but honestly I'm not sure.
This was an ok book. Not the best but not the worst. This is always a series I struggle with as I like certain aspects of this series and am annoyed with others. I like the catering and baking aspect and how it reminds the girls of their mother. Their relationship with the father is also something I love. The sisters themselves, not as much. They are just very plain and I feel they don't have a personality to them that I would like. The mystery was good. I didn't suspect the killer until it was revealed. I might read more in this series but honestly I'm not sure.
December 1, 2019
This was another good read in the series. This time the sisters are catering a family gathering. However, they haven't spent much time with them seeing as their mother cut ties with them a long time ago. Someone is murdered at the party. Ada believes it has something to do with the past. Of course Libby and Bernie spend the book trying to figure out the truth.
January 2, 2025
4 deaths--two ten years ago and two in present day. Is it a coincidence? That is the premise of this book. Our two detectives, Bernie and Libby, are sisters and caterers. Their father, Sean, is a former cop.
It works out well! Sean gets to share insights with his daughters over delicious eats that they have created. This was a fun, fast read.
It works out well! Sean gets to share insights with his daughters over delicious eats that they have created. This was a fun, fast read.
November 30, 2019
This was fairly interesting. I still like the main characters, and it was fun watching them solve the mystery, but I didn't like the new characters. They were too much for me, which I think was the point. The story involves two deaths from ten years ago and whether or not the people were murdered. It sets up the current crimes. The ending with Libby, Bernie, and Sean was my favorite part of the story.
January 3, 2022
I actually enjoyed reading this book. At first I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I just kept on reading. I loved Bernie and Libby. I can't wait to read the next book.
December 31, 2023
Another fun entry in the series. I enjoy the characters and was missing the boyfriends in this one. Enjoyable mystery with recipes included at the end.
February 17, 2020
Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are reunited with a distant relative, Ada. Years earlier Bernie and Libby’s parents had a following out with Ada’s side of the family. The sisters are excited to learn more about Ada and the rest of their lost relatives. Ada wants Bernie and Libby to help her with a New Year’s dinner so she can find out what happened to her father on New Year’s years earlier. But when history seems to have repeated itself when a guest drops dead. Ada is arrested for the murder so Bernie and Libby want to find a resolution to the deaths of the past and present.
I have read several of the books in this series. I haven’t read them all or necessarily in the order they were written. The books can be enjoyed as stand-alone mysteries although reading them in order will give you a better understanding of the character’s backstories. Most of the books are holiday-themed so I really enjoy reading them during the coinciding holiday season. The characters are relatable and great chemistry. The mystery moves at a fast pace with several red-herrings along the way. I was surprised by who turned out to be the murder.
I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced by anyone.
I have read several of the books in this series. I haven’t read them all or necessarily in the order they were written. The books can be enjoyed as stand-alone mysteries although reading them in order will give you a better understanding of the character’s backstories. Most of the books are holiday-themed so I really enjoy reading them during the coinciding holiday season. The characters are relatable and great chemistry. The mystery moves at a fast pace with several red-herrings along the way. I was surprised by who turned out to be the murder.
I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced by anyone.
September 14, 2019
As a fan of this series, there have been a few books in the past that haven’t appealed to me. Luckily, A Catered New Years Eve is well written and portrays the sisters, Bernie and Libby in a much better way. When Bernie is eager to meet her mother’s side of the family, Libby feels a bit Leary to do so, what if their father is right when saying nothing good can come from it. Old family arguments are not forgotten and when a tragic death takes place during a catered party, the girls continue to ask questions, determined to find the truth about their mothers weird relations
January 10, 2020
Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are reunited (in Episode 15 of the Catered Series) with a distant relative who wants them to cater a New Year’s Eve event—and, as this is a “murder mystery”--to help find a guilty party.
This reader admits not to be much of a “cozy mystery” fan, but we still find some of them amusing, easy, and fast to read (thanks to the influence of some of my literary friends).
The sisters run A Little Taste of Heaven and generally stay busy, baking cookies, cakes, and assorted hors d'oeuvres—but their work days are generally interrupted by, yes, a murder (or sometimes two or three). Now, it’s almost time to change the calendar! In Isis Crawford’s "A Catered New Year’s Eve (A Mystery with Recipes Book)," the sisters certainly have their hands full (but kneading a break, as it were).
The Simmons family has been estranged from the other side of the family, the Sinclairs, and then cousin Ada Sinclair contacts them. She feels that the death of her father and his business partner was no accidental death and, voila, years later, Ada has a plan to boil out the culprit. She enlists the sisters in her “food for thought” scheme. They will hold a New Year’s Eve food party, stage a confession, and see who throws up!
She has a diary she’s found and will read excerpts to the guests. As in Hamlet, “the diary’s the thing, wherein they’ll catch the conscience of the king” (sorry, Hamlet!), she hopes for the truth. Alas, things get overdone and, sure enough, one of the guests drops dead. What was the menu--champagne and cyanide? Food for thought, for sure. Alas, the diary disappears, Ada gets arrested for murder, and we’re off to the after-dinner coffees and brandy. The clock is ticking. But one should never underestimate the powers of the Sisters Simmons, who, indeed, like a good soufflé, rise to the occasion (and the heat).
And the timer goes off and another "catered" adventure by Ms Crawford ends--all in good taste, of course!
This reader admits not to be much of a “cozy mystery” fan, but we still find some of them amusing, easy, and fast to read (thanks to the influence of some of my literary friends).
The sisters run A Little Taste of Heaven and generally stay busy, baking cookies, cakes, and assorted hors d'oeuvres—but their work days are generally interrupted by, yes, a murder (or sometimes two or three). Now, it’s almost time to change the calendar! In Isis Crawford’s "A Catered New Year’s Eve (A Mystery with Recipes Book)," the sisters certainly have their hands full (but kneading a break, as it were).
The Simmons family has been estranged from the other side of the family, the Sinclairs, and then cousin Ada Sinclair contacts them. She feels that the death of her father and his business partner was no accidental death and, voila, years later, Ada has a plan to boil out the culprit. She enlists the sisters in her “food for thought” scheme. They will hold a New Year’s Eve food party, stage a confession, and see who throws up!
She has a diary she’s found and will read excerpts to the guests. As in Hamlet, “the diary’s the thing, wherein they’ll catch the conscience of the king” (sorry, Hamlet!), she hopes for the truth. Alas, things get overdone and, sure enough, one of the guests drops dead. What was the menu--champagne and cyanide? Food for thought, for sure. Alas, the diary disappears, Ada gets arrested for murder, and we’re off to the after-dinner coffees and brandy. The clock is ticking. But one should never underestimate the powers of the Sisters Simmons, who, indeed, like a good soufflé, rise to the occasion (and the heat).
And the timer goes off and another "catered" adventure by Ms Crawford ends--all in good taste, of course!
May 6, 2020
Sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons are known all over the area for A Little Taste of Heaven, the local eatery started by their late mother, Rose. They inherited Rose’s culinary genius and have expanded the shop’s menu from its humble beginnings to include a yummy assortment of goodies guaranteed to tempt every palate. A Little Taste of Heaven also offers off-premise catering, and Bernie and Libby are usually booked solid, especially during the Christmas holidays. When they receive a phone call from Ada Sinclair, an estranged relative of Rose’s, to cater a special New Year’s Eve dinner, the sisters are intrigued. Their mom never had anything good to say about the Sinclairs, so Libby and Bernie have never met them. Despite their father warning his girls to turn the job down, the sisters meet with Ada to find out what she’s planning for New Year’s Eve.
It turns out Ada has more on her mind than a simple dinner party. She tells the sisters about the long-ago deaths of her father and his business partner, which happened within hours of each other. The deaths were ruled accidental, but Ada has always believed otherwise. Her plan is to gather all her relatives and read from a diary she found in her mother’s attic that she thinks will expose the murderer. The sisters agree to cater the party, and also serve as witnesses when Ada is reading from the diary. The guests immediately dismiss Ada’s reading as another example of her overactive imagination.
As midnight approaches, one of the guests drops dead and the diary disappears. Bernie and Libby realize that Ada was onto something after all. When Ada is suspected of the murder, she drops out of sight, making her look guilty as heck. Bernie and Libby can’t help feeling sorry for her, and they set out to prove Ada’s innocence.
“A Catered New Year’s Eve,” the fifteenth in this series, is a cover-to-cover, laugh-out-loud cozy. I loved it!
It turns out Ada has more on her mind than a simple dinner party. She tells the sisters about the long-ago deaths of her father and his business partner, which happened within hours of each other. The deaths were ruled accidental, but Ada has always believed otherwise. Her plan is to gather all her relatives and read from a diary she found in her mother’s attic that she thinks will expose the murderer. The sisters agree to cater the party, and also serve as witnesses when Ada is reading from the diary. The guests immediately dismiss Ada’s reading as another example of her overactive imagination.
As midnight approaches, one of the guests drops dead and the diary disappears. Bernie and Libby realize that Ada was onto something after all. When Ada is suspected of the murder, she drops out of sight, making her look guilty as heck. Bernie and Libby can’t help feeling sorry for her, and they set out to prove Ada’s innocence.
“A Catered New Year’s Eve,” the fifteenth in this series, is a cover-to-cover, laugh-out-loud cozy. I loved it!
November 1, 2019
A Catered New Year's Eve by Isis Crawford is the fifteenth book in a Mystery with Recipes series but can be read as a standalone.
This is the first book in the series for me and I had no problems getting to know the characters. All previous references are clearly explained and new readers such as myself have no problem following the story.
Libby and Bernie are sisters, who own a bakery and solve mysteries on the side. They live with their father and have no other family than their mother's estranged relatives.
After many years of being distant all of a sudden their relative Ada has come to ask for their help. Not listening to their father's advice than nothing good will come out of it, Bernie is delighted to get to know Ada.
Ada's father has been dead for many years, and she is still convinced that both he and his partner have been killed.
So wants Libby and Bernie to provide food for New Year's party and she is going to read from her father's diary hoping to provoke killer into some sort of action.
This results in getting their close family friend poisoned and diary going missing. Scared Ada flees and it's up to the sisters to solve the puzzle.
I had high hopes for this book. Staging such a dramatic show reminded me of old fashioned mysteries, however I found the book very repetitive and very slow going.
The story stared well and things were moving pretty steadily and then started to drag. The characters lacked depth, very often they behaved silly and unrealistically.
The plot was intriguing enough but it couldn't follow the story.
This is the first book in the series for me and I had no problems getting to know the characters. All previous references are clearly explained and new readers such as myself have no problem following the story.
Libby and Bernie are sisters, who own a bakery and solve mysteries on the side. They live with their father and have no other family than their mother's estranged relatives.
After many years of being distant all of a sudden their relative Ada has come to ask for their help. Not listening to their father's advice than nothing good will come out of it, Bernie is delighted to get to know Ada.
Ada's father has been dead for many years, and she is still convinced that both he and his partner have been killed.
So wants Libby and Bernie to provide food for New Year's party and she is going to read from her father's diary hoping to provoke killer into some sort of action.
This results in getting their close family friend poisoned and diary going missing. Scared Ada flees and it's up to the sisters to solve the puzzle.
I had high hopes for this book. Staging such a dramatic show reminded me of old fashioned mysteries, however I found the book very repetitive and very slow going.
The story stared well and things were moving pretty steadily and then started to drag. The characters lacked depth, very often they behaved silly and unrealistically.
The plot was intriguing enough but it couldn't follow the story.
January 5, 2023
“Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters” I love that song from the movie White Christmas. That song rings true with Libby and Bernie, the lead protagonists from A Catered New Year’s Eve. And just like real life sisters, one takes on the burden of keeping the other one safe and in line. Visit my blog for a review on a recipe for this book too. Literary Baker In this novel Libby is the one who needs to keep Bernie from getting them into too much trouble. However, trouble is easy to find when you are trying to solve a murder (or 2) that has taken place on your mom’s side of the family. You know that group of relatives, the ones who cause more drama than is worth it. If you can’t identify relatives like that in your family, perhaps it is you. The ultimate drama queen, their cousin Ada asks Libby and Bernie to cater her family’s New Year’s Eve party and at the same time try to figure out who is responsible for her dad’s death that took place 10 years ago. Seems like a daunting task to me. Of course Libby and Bernie are ultimately successful, but not without the help of their retired police officer dad, Sean. Sean enlisted the help of 2 old friends (and by old friends I mean they are literally old), McCready, and Eckleburger. I’m new to this series and I realize this is not the first one in the series, but I thought these old men were hilarious. I hope they are highlighted in more novels.
September 30, 2019
Bernie and Libby are always a treat! Even their Dad. The entire family cut ties to their mothers Sinclair relatives after years of them borrowing money and never bothering to pay it back, so it's a shock when one of the cousins shows up asking Bernie and Libby to cater her New Year's Eve party in an attempt to lure out whoever killed Ada Sinclair's father.
Intrigued, but cautious, the ladies hear her out. Her father and his business partner both died within hours of each other and both were ruled accidents. But Ava passionately believes otherwise.
Their father warns them not to get involved, but you know they will, so he helps behind the scenes.
Showing up at the event, they are met with hostility and some seriously weird family members. Ada has asked them to be there when she reads the journal she found in her father's thing. Believing it will flush out the guilty party. Unfortunately for Ada, it just leaves one person dead and Ada in the wind.
They truly believe Ada and are going to find out the truth. Even if it kills them, Which it may!
I love the sisters. This one was a bit wordy in the middle, but the ending was quite satisfying.
Well Done
NetGalley/October 29th, 2019 by Kensington
Intrigued, but cautious, the ladies hear her out. Her father and his business partner both died within hours of each other and both were ruled accidents. But Ava passionately believes otherwise.
Their father warns them not to get involved, but you know they will, so he helps behind the scenes.
Showing up at the event, they are met with hostility and some seriously weird family members. Ada has asked them to be there when she reads the journal she found in her father's thing. Believing it will flush out the guilty party. Unfortunately for Ada, it just leaves one person dead and Ada in the wind.
They truly believe Ada and are going to find out the truth. Even if it kills them, Which it may!
I love the sisters. This one was a bit wordy in the middle, but the ending was quite satisfying.
Well Done
NetGalley/October 29th, 2019 by Kensington
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